INTERVIEW: Deb McGrath talks value and marketing of the EB EXPO

With the consumer portion of the show now well underway, MCV spoke to EB National Brand, Events and Marketing Manager Deb McGrath.

How important is EBX and expos generally to gaming in Australia?

They are important in the sense that they are taking the Australian gaming industry to the next level. Gaming expo’s go a long way to increase the profile of gaming in the eyes of the greater population, which can only be a positive thing for the future of the industry in Australia.

How much of the marketing for EBX is geared towards the traditional EB employee versus broad mainstream advertising?

The marketing for EBX has done exactly what we hoped it would. Initially the plan was to attract the hardcore passionate gamer that we knew would want the full EB Expo experience with multiple session passes. We were blown away by the speed at which tickets like the Ultimate passes sold out and we promise they won’t be disappointed with what we have install for them.

We then moved to a more mainstream approach with a big outdoor and street campaign. This included billboards, buses, along with over 12,000 street and café posters. We have also been lucky enough to get Nova on board with a radio campaign and you will see them popping up at the event.

The advertising has the EBX logo taking a modest position next to the games themselves. Is this a move to market the Sydney expo as more of a festival?

Over the next few years you will continue to see the EB Expo grow, but what you won’t see change is the games themselves taking centre stage.

What makes the EB Expo so unique in the Australian market is the quality and number of unreleased games that we are able to showcase.

The fact that the local Australian publishers are collectively behind our event is something that we are very proud of and appreciate the effort they have gone to get the games and talent they have. To be able to give the Australian public access for the first time to the likes of the Nintendo Wii U, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 and a whole array of unreleased 2012 and 2013 titles is a huge coup for our event but most importantly great for the local gaming community.

With a Multi-million dollar show like this one, how important is it that all publishers are on board? Is it vital to have that full inclusion?

Fortunately for the EB Expo 2012 we do have all the major publishers on board. Not only are they on board, but they have bought with them an unprecedented level of content, displays and international guests.

So although it is not vital, in the case of the EB Expo 2012, it has meant that we have been able to develop a truly unique and epic show that is genuinely be the biggest gaming event in Australian history.

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